Bhubaneswar: Odisha launched a series of infrastructural and strategic initiatives on International MSME Day to accelerate the state’s economic growth and foster a robust ecosystem for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Underlining the sector as the primary growth engine of Odisha’s economy, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi announced that MSMEs will play a critical role in driving the state toward its ambitious goal of becoming a 500 billion dollar economy by 2036.
Deputy Chief Minister Shrimati Pravati Parida, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr.Ashok Kumar Lahiri, Chief Secretary Shrimati Anu Garg and senior officials were present.
A central highlight of the event was the launch of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform Odisha Chapter, developed in collaboration with NITI Aayog. This dedicated platform is designed to transition women from consumers to creators by integrating various support systems. It will serve as a unified hub connecting Mission Shakti, the MSME department, Startup Odisha, banks, and industrial bodies to provide financial assistance, market access, mentorship, and skill development opportunities. Data from recent evaluations by IIM Sambalpur and SBI indicates that women-led enterprises in the state have more than doubled, increasing from 25 percent to 53 percent.
To support rural and agricultural MSMEs, the Chief Minister inaugurated a rice milling cluster in Balasore, built at a cost of 24.18 crore INR, aimed at boosting the production of rice bran oil. Additionally, a foundation stone was laid for a new rasagola cluster in Pahala, valued at 17.70 crore INR. This project is expected to enhance local traditional food processing capacity, increasing daily production from 7,000 kilograms to 11,000 kilograms.
Infrastructure expansion continued with the inauguration of two multi-product MSME parks located at Barpalli in Ganjam and Kesinga in Kalahandi, developed at a cost of 10 crore INR each. The state government confirmed its plan to establish at least one multi-product MSME park in every district of Odisha, with upcoming specialized clusters for engineering, printing, packaging, and cashew processing.
The collaborative financial frameworks between the central and state governments have currently benefited over 4.32 lakh MSMEs in Odisha. Through the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, a credit subsidy of 146 crore INR has been distributed to 4,900 small enterprises, with women constituting 42.5 percent of the beneficiaries. Furthermore, collateral-free loans exceeding 23,000 crore INR have been sanctioned under credit guarantee schemes, with interest burdens heavily supported by state initiatives like CM-SRIM.
NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr. Ashok Kumar Lahiri noted that Odisha’s Gross State Domestic Product growth rate consistently surpasses the national average. Driven by sustained capital investment in health and infrastructure, Odisha secured the top position in NITI Aayog’s Fiscal Health Index for 2026. With merchandise exports reaching 95,568 crore INR in the last financial year, emerging sunrise sectors like textiles and tourism are expected to sustain this economic momentum.